Wavetek MS1200 scanning signal level meter Operating instructions

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WavetekWavetek

Wavetek

Communications Division

5808 Churchman Bypass

Indianapolis, IN 46203-6109

(800)851-1198

(317)788-5960

Fax: (317)782-4607

8/95

Manual Part No.

6510-00-0281

This document contains information proprietary to

Wavetek. The information in this document

is not to be used or duplicated in any manner without

the prior approval, in writing, of Wavetek.

OPERATION MANUAL

MODEL MS1200

SCANNING SIGNAL

LEVEL METER

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WARRANTY

Wavetek warrants that all Products manufactured or procured by Wavetek conform to

Wavetek’s published specifications and are free from defects in materials and workmanship

for a period of one (1) year from the date of delivery to the original Buyer, when used under

normal operating conditions and within the service conditions for which they were designed.

This warranty is not transferrable and does not apply to used or demonstration products.

The obligation of Wavetek arising from a Warranty claim shall be limited to repairing, or at

its option, replacing without charge, any assembly or component (except batteries) which in

Wavetek’s sole opinion proves to be defective within the scope of the Warranty. In the event

Wavetek is not able to modify, repair or replace nonconforming defective parts or components

to a condition as warranted within a reasonable time after receipt thereof, Buyers shall receive

credit in the amount of the original invoiced price of the product.

Wavetek must be notified in writing of the defect or nonconformity within the Warranty

period and the affected Product returned to Wavetek’s factory, designated Service Provider,

or Authorized Service Center within thirty (30) days after discovery of such defect or

nonconformity. Buyer shall prepay shipping charges and insurance for Products returned to

Wavetek or its designated Service Provider for warranty service. Wavetek or its designated

Service Provider shall pay costs for return of Products to Buyer.

Wavetek shall have no responsibility for any defect or damage caused by improper storage,

improper installation, unauthorized modification, misuse, neglect, inadequate maintenance,

accident or for any Product which has been repaired or altered by anyone other than Wavetek

or its authorized representative or not in accordance with instructions furnished by Wavetek.

The Warranty described above is Buyer’s sole and exclusive remedy and no other warranty,

whether written or oral, expressed or implied by statute or course of dealing shall apply.

Wavetek specifically disclaims the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a

particular purpose. No statement, representation, agreement, or understanding, oral or

written, made by an agent, distributor, or employee of Wavetek, which is not contained in the

foregoing Warranty will be binding upon Wavetek, unless made in writing and executed by

an authorized representative of Wavetek. Under no circumstances shall Wavetek be liable for

any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages, expenses, or losses,

including loss of profits, based on contract, tort, or any other legal theory.

Extended Warranty Programs

Extended warranties and service contracts are available for new and currently owned

equipment for an additional cost. Contact the Customer Service Department (800 851-

1198) for details pertaining to extended warranties and service contracts.

Return Authorization Procedure

The customer MUST obtain a RETURN AUTHORIZATION NUMBER from the

Customer Service Department (800 851-1198) prior to returning any equipment for

warranty or non-warranty repair. Wavetek accepts no liability for any instrument or

subassembly returned to the factory without this number. Any correspondence regarding

returned instruments or subassemblies should be referenced to that number.

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Contents

Introducing microStealth ....................................................................5

Introduction .......................................................................................... 5

Getting Acquainted with the Keypad ................................................ 7

Getting Acquinted with the Screen ................................................... 9

The Navigator ...................................................................................... 12

Configuring microStealth .................................................................... 12

Global Configuration ........................................................................... 13

Measurements Configuration ............................................................. 16

Channel Plan Configuration ............................................................... 19

Using microStealth................................................................................27

Introduction .......................................................................................... 27

Installation ............................................................................................ 27

Selecting Channel Packages ............................................................... 28

Selecting the Test Point ...................................................................... 28

Installation Results Summary ............................................................. 29

The Channel List ................................................................................ 30

The Pass/Fail Indicator ....................................................................... 30

Channel Measurement ........................................................................ 31

Printing an Installation Report ........................................................... 32

Level .....................................................................................................32

Adjuisting the Reference Level ......................................................... 33

Tuning by Channel .............................................................................. 33

Tuning by Frequency .......................................................................... 33

Measurement hold ............................................................................... 34

Printing the Screen .............................................................................. 34

Warning Indicators ............................................................................... 34

Full Scan ............................................................................................... 35

Moving the Marker.............................................................................. 35

Adjusting the Reference Level .......................................................... 36

Adjusting the Scale .............................................................................. 36

Zooming In and out ............................................................................. 36

Checking Limits .................................................................................. 36

Checking Limits on an Individual Channel ..................................... 38

Measurement Hold.............................................................................. 39

Printing the Screen .............................................................................. 39

Tilt ........................................................................................................ 39

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Moving the Marker..............................................................................40

Selecting the Low and High Carriers ................................................40

Adjusting the Reference Level ..........................................................40

Adjusting the Scale ..............................................................................40

Measurement Hold..............................................................................40

Printing the Screen ..............................................................................41

Scan .......................................................................................................41

Moving the Marker..............................................................................41

Adjusting the Reference Level ..........................................................41

Adjusting the Scale ..............................................................................42

Checking Limits ..................................................................................42

Measurement Hold..............................................................................43

Printing the Screen ..............................................................................43

Reference ...............................................................................................45

Using the Reference Section ..............................................................45

Help .......................................................................................................45

Information............................................................................................46

Technical Support .................................................................................47

Appendix A: Specifications ..................................................................49

Appendix B: Power Management and Battery .....................................51

Battery Pack Location and Installation.................................................51

Charging the Battery Pack ....................................................................51

Battery Tips ...........................................................................................51

Appendix C: Interface Port ...................................................................53

Connector ..............................................................................................53

Cable Specifications ..............................................................................54

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MODEL MS1200

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Introducing

microSTEALTH

INTRODUCTION

The MS1200 Signal Level Meter is a high performance instrument

designed for cable television technicians. The durable, waterproof

MS1200 makes innovative use of a graphics LCD to simplify

operation. The LCD backlight makes measurements easier in

crawl spaces and behind TVs. The display is easy to see in bright

sunlight.

A scan mode allows you to see the levels of all carriers in a spectral

display. You can also view level measurements at a single fre-

quency or for a specific channel. When tuned to a channel, the

display indicates the levels of the video and audio carriers, and the

difference between the carrier levels.

When performing an installation, you can press the Installation

Check key to quickly verify that all channels are within limits that

you have defined. You can use this feature to determine whether

or not a subscriber connection meets FCC or other government

requirements.

A special channel plan building mode automatically determines

which channels are active on your cable system. Once the channel

plan is defined, you can copy it to multiple MS1200s using the

built-in serial port. Channel plans can also be created using

StealthWare, the Windows™ based data management package for

Stealth products, and downloaded to multiple MS1200s.

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For documentation purposes, you can print any measurement

screen to a serial printer (Wavetek P-Stealth Printer). Following an

installation check, you can print an installation report that can be

filed with the work order. You can also print a report that lists all

configuration settings including the channel plan.

The MS1200 tunes from 45 to 550 MHz with an option to extend

the range to 5 to 890 MHz.

GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE KEYPAD

The keypad consists of the following:

• three Soft keys

• a Power key

• four Mode Selection keys

• an Enter key

• eleven Alphanumeric keys

• a Shift key

1. SOFT KEYS

There are three horizontally oriented soft keys located below the

display. The function of each soft key changes depending on the

particular operation being performed and is represented by an

icon immediately above the key.

2. POWER KEY - ON/OFF

Turns your microStealth on and off.

3. MODE SELECTION KEYS

INSTALLATION MODE

Easily check the channels that you have installed and

verify that they are within limits.

LEVEL MODE

Measure the signal level at a specific channel or fre-

quency.

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FULL SCAN MODE

View a spectrum graph of all carrier levels in your channel

plan.

NAVIGATOR

Instantly "travel" to any mode using the NAVIGATOR.

4. ENTER KEY

Press this key to terminate your entry or selection.

5. ALPHANUMERIC KEYS

You use the alphanumeric keys to enter data while operating your

microStealth. Notice that these keys have a numeral and up to

three alphabetic characters labeled on them. You can only access

the characters when alphanumeric entry is allowed. In the

alphanumeric entry mode, you sequence through each character

and the numeral by repeatedly pressing the key. You can also

access a set of special characters that do not appear on the keypad

by using the up and down arrows. Once the desired character is

displayed, move the cursor to the next position using the right

arrow. Be sure to terminate your entry by pressing the key.

6. SHIFT KEY

Some keys perform more than one function. The secondary

function of a key is represented by an icon printed next to it.

Notice that the icons are color coded with the SHIFT key. You

access the secondary function by first pressing the SHIFT key

and then the associated key.

7. SECONDARY FUNCTIONS

CONFIGURE MODE

Configure your microStealth for your own specific needs.

AUTO REFERENCE

Let microStealth automatically set the reference level for

you.

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SNAP SHOT

Hold the measurement. The measurement is retained even

if the cable is disconnected from the input.

CLEAR

Clear-out your entry and start over again.

BACKLIGHT ON/OFF

Quickly turn the backlight on when it is too dark to see the

display.

POSITIVE/NEGATIVE

Enter positive and negative values (when allowed).

HELP

View a description of each icon found in the current soft

key menu.

PRINT

Print a measurement screen, installation report, or

configuration report to a serial printer.

Note:

The following secondary function is not available on the MS1200:

FILE

GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE SCREEN

There are certain elements of the screen that will become familiar

to you as you use your microStealth.

The Title Bar

Notice the title bar at the very top of the screen. It presents the title

and icon for the current mode you are using.

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Title Bar Indicators

You may see indicators appear above the title bar from time to time.

This is what they represent:

This indicator appears in the top right-hand corner of

the screen when you press the SHIFT key. This means

that microStealth interprets the next key that you press

to be a secondary function.

This indicator is displayed to warn you that the battery is

low. When you see this, recharge the battery or change to a

fresh one as soon as possible.

This indicates that the RF synthesizer has become

unlocked. If this condition persists, the unit may need

repair.

The Status Bar

Look for the status bar in the lower portion of the screen. It displays

a bar meter that indicates the charge remaining in your

microStealth's battery. When the battery meter reads low, you will

need to switch to a freshly charged battery soon.

Soft Key Icons

There are three soft keys located immediately below the display.

The function of a soft key is represented by the icon directly above

it.

Note

If the soft key function is not currently available, the icon appears

"grayed" or "dimmed".

Lists

Lists present several items for viewing and/or selecting. Notice that

the currently chosen item is highlighted. You can scroll through the

list using the up and down arrows.

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A list can be either "active" or "inactive". You can tell by looking at

the border. If the border is solid, the list is active and any keys that

you press are directed toward it. If the border is dim, the list is

inactive and is not affected by key presses. Usually you can make a

list become in focus by pressing the key.

When there are more items in the list than can be displayed at one

time, a scroll bar appears along the right-hand edge of the list. You

can use this to get an idea of where you are. When you have reached

the first or last item, an arrow appears inside the scroll box pointing

to the direction you can go.

The Edit Box

The edit box appears in the lower portion of the screen when it is

necessary to enter values into your microStealth.

An edit box can be either "active" or "inactive". You can tell by

looking at the border. If the border is solid, the edit box is active

and any keys that you press are directed toward it. If the border is

dim, the edit box is inactive and is not affected by key presses.

Usually you can make a list become in focus by pressing the

key. Be sure to press the key again when you have finished

making your entry.

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THE NAVIGATOR

You can easily travel to any mode using the NAVIGATOR. To

access the NAVIGATOR, press the key.

An icon appears on the screen for each available mode. Use the up,

down, left, and right arrows to highlight the icon that represents the

mode you want to use. Notice that the name of the mode appears

on the lower portion of the screen beneath the status bar. To get a

description of the highlighted mode, press the SHIFT + key. To

travel to the mode you have highlighted, press any one of the soft

keys or the key.

Tip

You can also use the numeric keys, 1 through 9 to highlight the

desired icon in the NAVIGATOR screen. Each key corresponds to

an icon in the 3 by 3 matrix.

CONFIGURING microSTEALTH

Before using your microStealth, you may want to configure it for

your specific needs. The CONFIGURE mode allows you to select

global and measurement related preferences and to build and edit a

channel plan that matches your cable plant.

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To configure your microStealth, press the SHIFT + keys or

choose the icon from the NAVIGATOR. The following screen

appears:

Configuration settings are divided into three categories; GLOBAL,

MEASUREMENTS, and CHANNEL PLAN. Use the up and

down arrows to highlight the category you want and then press the

key.

Tip

You can also use the left-hand and right-hand soft keys to scroll

through the CONFIGURE categories and then press the middle

soft key to select the highlighted category.

PRINTING A CONFIGURATION REPORT

In most configuration screens, you can print a comprehensive

configuration report by pressing the SHIFT + keys. A bar graph

appears indicating the status of the printout. The report lists all of

the configurable settings including the active channel plan.

Global Configuration

OPERATOR NAME

You can personalize your microStealth by entering your name here.

Your name will then appear on report printouts.

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CONTRAST LEVEL

Adjusts the contrast level of the LCD for optimum viewing.

SHUTOFF TIME-OUT

Sets the amount of inactive time allowed before your microStealth

turns off automatically. This feature is useful for conserving battery

life by preventing the microStealth from being left on accidentally

when it is not in use. You can set the time-out period to 1, 3, or 5

minutes. There is also an "always on" setting that defeats the

automatic shutoff feature if desired.

Note

You can manually turn off your microStealth at any time by pressing

the button.

BACKLIGHT TIME-OUT

Sets the amount of inactive time allowed before the backlight turns

off automatically. The backlight consumes significant power. This

feature conserves battery life by minimizing the amount of time

that the backlight is on. You can set the time-out period to; 5 or 10

seconds. There is an always off setting for when the backlight is

not needed at all. There is also an always on setting that defeats

the backlight time-out feature.

You can manually turn the backlight on or off at any time by

pressing the SHIFT + keys. When manually activated, the

backlight remains on continuously until the unit shuts off.

Tip

You can tell when the backlight is on even in bright sunlight by

looking for the backlight indicator at the left-hand edge of the Title

Bar. The indicator means that the backlight is currently on and

will turn off automatically. The indicator means that the back-

light is on and will remain on continuously. If you see no indicator,

the backlight is off.

PRINTER

Select the manufacturer of the printer that you will be using. A

printer with a serial interface is required. Set your printer configu-

ration as follows:

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Baud Rate: same as your microStealth

Date Bits: 8

Stop Bits: 1

Parity: NONE

Flow Control: Xon/Xoff

Important

The baud rate of both your microStealth and your printer must

match (see BAUD RATE).

Tip

A serial to parallel converter (such as the on manufactured by Black

Box Corp.) can be used for printing to a parallel printer.

LINES/PAGE

For text reports, you can specify the number of lines that will be

printed on each page before a form feed command is sent. Enter 0

if you do not want any form feeds to be sent.

BAUD RATE

This is the baud rate that is used when your microStealth communi-

cates with another device through the serial port. Generally, you

will want to use the highest rate supported. Be sure that the baud

rate setting of your microStealth matches that of the device that it is

connected to.

CLONE

You can easily transfer the entire configuration from one

microStealth unit to another. This saves you time when configuring

multiple units. First, connect a cable between the two microStealth

units. Select CLONE only on the unit that you want to copy the

configuration to. Press the softkey to begin the transfer.

Important

Be sure that the baud rate setting of your microStealth matches that

of the device that it is connected to (see BAUD RATE).

DIAGNOSTICS

Performs hardware diagnostics and defaults stored preferences to

factory presets. Press the key to access the diagnostics options.

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Factory Default

Sets all stored preferences to factory presets. Press the

key to initiate the default operation.

Important

All stored settings are lost when you perform this operation.

Test Display

Exercises all pixels on the LCD for test purposes. Re-

peated pressing of the key sequences the display

between all pixels "on", all pixels "off", and the display test

screen.

Measurements Configuration

SIGNAL LEVEL UNITS

Selects the units that will be used for all signal level measurements.

You can select between; dBmV, dBµV and dBm.

PROBE COMPENSATION

This can be used to compensate for losses associated with probe

points found on certain amplifiers. You can enter a value between

-99.9 and +99.9 dB. Probe compensation is added directly to signal

level measurements. The compensation value is indicated in the

upper left-hand corner of the measurement screens. There is no

indication, however, if the compensation value is zero.

Important

The PROBE COMPENSATION value does not affect INSTAL-

LATION or CHANNEL PLAN BUILD mode. Level measurements

made while checking an installation are uncompensated.

FREQUENCY TUNING STEP SIZE

This setting affects the increment/decrement step size when you

are tuning the frequency using the left and right arrows. You can

select a value between 25kHz and 100MHz in steps of 25kHz.

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SCAN AUDIO CARRIERS

Select YES if you want to see the audio carriers in the full scan

screen. You can achieve a faster scan by omitting the audio carriers.

SCAN SCRAMBLED CHANNELS

Scrambled channels require more time to measure. You can achieve

a faster scan by omitting scrambled channels. Select YES if you

want to see scrambled channels in the full scan screen.

EDIT TEST POINTS

Your microStealth is capable of performing tests at various locations

including; SUBSCRIBER DROP, GROUND BLOCK, TAP, and

USER DEFINED (or CUSTOM). Each test point has its own set

of limits that you can edit. Press the key to edit the test points.

A list of available test points appears.

You can enable or disable each test point in the list. When a test

point is disabled, you cannot use it when performing tests. Use the

up or down arrow to highlight the desired test point. If the high-

lighted test point is disabled, you can enable it by pressing the

soft key. A check mark appears in the left-hand column to indicate

when a test point is enabled. If the test point is already enabled,

pressing the soft key disables it.

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Tip

You can change the name of the USER DEFINED (CUSTOM)

test point. Notice that the edit box appears when this test point is

highlighted. When you press the key, the edit box becomes

active and you can enter any name up to fifteen characters long. Be

sure to press the key when finished to terminate your entry.

You can edit the limits for the highlighted test point by pressing the

soft key. The limits appear on the screen.

You can selectively enable or disable each individual limit. When a

limit is disabled, your microStealth excludes it when checking

limits. If the highlighted limit is disabled, you can enable it by

pressing the soft key. A check mark appears in the left-hand

column to indicate when a limit is enabled. If the limit is already

enabled, pressing the soft key disables it.

Note

If you disable all of the limits within a test point, the test point

becomes disabled. You cannot enable a test point that has no

enabled limits.

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You can edit the value of the highlighted limit by pressing the

key. When the edit box becomes active, enter the desired value. Be

sure to press the key when finished to terminate your entry.

Press the soft key to return all limits in the test point to their

factory preset values.

Channel Plan Configuration

VIDEO SIGNAL TYPE

Your microStealth is capable of measuring signal levels on NTSC or

PAL video signals. You should make sure that the correct video

type is selected.

CHANNEL SEQUENCE

You can specify whether channels are listed in numeric or frequency

order. This setting also affects the sequence in which channels are

tuned in the LEVEL screen when using the left and right arrows.

Note

The SCAN screen always displays channels in order of frequency

regardless of the CHANNEL SEQUENCE setting.

BUILD CHANNEL PLAN

Your microStealth is capable of identifying which channels are on

your cable plant. This allows you to quickly and easily generate a

customized channel plan. Press the key and let microStealth

learn your system.

Important

Ensure that your microStealth is connected to the cable system

before initiating this procedure.

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Step 1

You are asked to enter a name for the channel plan. Using

the edit box, you can enter any name up to fifteen charac-

ters long. Be sure to terminate your entry with the key.

Press the soft key to continue with the next step.

Step 2

There are several standard channel plans to use as a

foundation for building your plan. Use the up or down

arrows to highlight the one that is appropriate for your

system. Press the soft key to continue with the next

step.

Step 3

You can tell microStealth what frequency to stop searching

for channels. This will save time when building the plan.

The frequency you enter should be just above the highest

channel on your system. If you are not sure what the

frequency of your highest channel is, just use the default

value that appears in the edit box. If you have entered a

value, be sure to terminate your entry with the key.

Press the soft key to begin building the plan.

Upon pressing the soft key, microStealth begins searching your

system for active channels. A bar graph indicates the percentage of

the channels searched. After the plan has been built, press the

soft key to return to the Channel Plan Configuration screen.

EDIT CHANNEL PLAN

You can edit various parameters for each channel. Press the

key to edit the channels. A list of all the channels in the plan

appears.

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